Carcassonne

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Beautifully maintained, the city of Carcassonne is primarily known as a fortified medieval town, but this rocky outcrop has been occupied by man since the sixth century BC, first as a Gallic settlement, then a Roman town with ramparts from the III - IV century AD (Gallo-Roman towers still visible).

On the west side of this primitive fortification rests the castle built in the XIIth century by the Viscounts Trencavel. In the early thirteenth century, Carcassonne was taken by Simon de Montfort during the Albigensian Crusade, then annexed to the royal domain. The fortification works are continuing throughout the thirteenth century with the construction of the outer wall and the modernization of the inner rampart, making this place a fortress impregnable.

It lost its strategic importance after the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. In the second half of the nineteenth century, it is the subject of a huge restoration project led by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc and is listed by the UNESCO list of World Heritage Site since 1997.


Opening times and additional information :

-July and August: from 9 to 19h (everyday)
-April, May, June, September and October: from 9am to 18pm Monday to Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9h to 13h
-From November to March: from 9am to 18pm Monday to Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9am to 12pm

14th of July: each year, the Fireworks of Carcassonne which illuminate the castle are seen by more than 200,000 spectators.

Mail : accueil@carcassonne-tourisme.com